They kicked off with migrants
The bent Ref press blowing dogwhisltes
Pretending little league bigotry is premiership fact.
Disgruntled pub-bores taking narrative possession 
Breaking away to head provable lies
Into the hands of the waiting expert keeper.
“WOKE SWOT!” The commentariat roars. 

And the Ref-press awards a penalty
Against the player who dares to say
“Children should not go hungry
In the 7th richest country in the world”
“Striker off the player-presenter
Who dares speak out against genocide.”

“OFFSIDE!” Scream the headlines
If a trans woman helps her team
To win a local park friendly five-a-side.
While the women’s health game
Sits unresearched on the bench
And battered wives cower 
If their husbands’ teams take a dive. 

Do not become ill or disabled
Unless you can prove in advance
That you have never fixed a match. 

Quietly pretend that the playing field is level
That any team can rise through the division lobbies.
(Given billionaire backing by foreign regimes).